Renault Captur: Juke-Sized Crossover Convertible Concept Demonstrates New Design Language

Remember the Renault DeZir sports coupe concept from the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show? If you don't, you can refresh your memory here, but in short, the two-seater study herald the French firm's new and more curvalicious design strategy on a sports car. Fast forward to today, and Renault has unveiled a new concept model called the Captur, which applies the DeZir's design philosophy on a three-door small crossover with a removable hardtop.The Captur will receive its world premiere at the upcoming Geneva Salon.

“It takes as its basis the fundamental design language introduced on the DeZir concept car but adds a more technical dimension – more functional but still highly sensuous," said Renault's director of concept cars, Axel Breun,

The French firm said that for the exterior designer, the main sources of inspiration were athletes and radical sports with styling references to equipment such as helmets, gloves and other protective gear.

The Captur, which is close in size to alliance partner Nissan’s Juke, is crafted from carbon fiber and features a removable hardtop that allows it to transform from a coupe to a convertible crossover. Other highlights include the butterfly doors and extra-large tires fitted to 22-inch black and white rims.

The colorful and futuristic-looking interior that can seat four passengers features fluorescent highlights picked out by a constant stream of light. "My main sources of inspiration were the human body, outdoor sports and urban styling," explains the colour and trim designer, Kana Watanabe. "I wanted Captur to radiate warmth and dynamism."

Power for the Captur comes from a 1.6-liter twin-turbocharged diesel engine concept with 160HP, developed from the new Energy dCi 130HP that will eventually replace the firm's current 1.9 dCi unit. The oil-burner is paired to a dual clutch EDC gearbox, and according to Renault, it emits less than 99g of CO2 per kilometer.

The Captur also comes with numerous technological advancements including a new RX2 mechanical self-locking differential and the Visio-System with a forward-facing camera mounted at the top of the windscreen providing driver-assistance functions.

Volkswagen Unwraps Monster Golf24 with 440HP Five-Cylinder Turbo for 2011 Nürburgring 24-hour Race

Volkswagen has announced that it will compete at this year's 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring with an all-new challenger, the freshly developed Golf24. The dramatic racing version of the Golf borrows the 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine from sister company Audi's TT RS and RS3 models, modified to deliver 440-ponies and a maximum torque of 540Nm or 398 lb-ft. Power is transmitted to the permanent four-wheel drive by a sequential six-speed gearbox with paddle shift operation.

The last time Volkswagen fielded a factory Golf for the famous Nürburgring endurance race was in 2007, at which time, the 300HP, front-wheel drive Golf that delivered about 300 hp finished in eighth place overall. For the past three years, the Germans have been competing in the race with the Scirocco GT24.

"With the new Golf24 we are continuing our successful commitment at the Nürburgring 24-hour race," said VW Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "The event enjoys huge popularity, is one of the true classics in motorsport and, due to its extreme distance and unique race track, also represents a very big technical challenge, With our spectacular Golf we want to provide an additional highlight in front of a large audience – right in time for the 35th anniversary of the GTI this year."

The new Golf24 has already reeled off its first circuit miles in Portugal and Italy, but VW will continue the testing and development programme until the Nürburgring racing event that takes place from June 23 to 26.

De Tomaso Lives! Italian Brand to Re-Launch in Geneva with a Premium Crossover Concept

Just like Pagani, De Tomaso is another Italy-based sports car manufacturer founded by an Argentinean, more exactly by former racing driver Alejandro De Tomaso. Known for its quirky models of the 1960s and 1970s like the Pantera, the company eventually went under the radar and ended up filing for bankruptcy in 2004.

Fortunately, it was bought five years later by ex-Fiat marketing executive and Lancia CEO Gian Mario Rossignolo, who decided to revive the iconic brand. Now, it seems that the Italian businessman’s efforts have come to fruition, as the revitalized automaker is planning to unveil a Pininfarina-designed premium crossover concept at the Geneva Motor Show.

Codenamed SLC (Sport Luxury Car), the design study is said to rival the likes of the BMW 5-Series GT and Lexus RX-450h.

According to reports, the SLC will have an aluminum body, four-wheel drive and three engine choices: 550HP V8 and 300HP V6 gasoline engines, plus a 250-horsepower diesel unit.

De Tomaso plans to build some 3,000 units of the crossover annually, and if everything goes according to plan, it will be followed by a luxury sedan and a coupe, also built from aluminum. Projected sales for these two models are 3,000 and 2,000 units respectively.

The Italians are going to invest €116 million (US $172 million) into the project, with the cars being manufactured at a former Pininfarina plant, using an innovative technology called Univis said to considerably simplify the manufacturing process.

NYC Beware: 2012 Mercedes CLS 63 AMG Fashion Police Car out to Capture Trendsetters on the Streets

If you happen to be in New York City for the next week or so and consider yourself a trendy person, keep an eye out for a 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG clad in a Fashion Force uniform resembling a police car. To explain, as part of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week festivities, the German sports saloon will be patrolling the streets of Manhattan to spot "style setters".

Those that fit the description will be pulled over and rewarded with a ride to their next destination and have their picture taken, while several will receive invitations to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week runway shows as well as to the official fashion force culmination event, hosted by Brad Goreski in the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge.

"The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Force car is a statement about New York being one of the greatest fashion capitals of the world and the confident approach to individualistic style that people strive to explore throughout this amazing city," said stylist Brad Goreski.

We'd like to assume that picking up trend setters from the streets is not what the AMG division's engineers had in mind when crafting the 2012 CLS 63 AMG, but then again, we doubt that Merc's clientele are your typical speed freaks.

"Mercedes-Benz has a natural affinity with the world of fashion with cars that appeal to those with a strong sense of style," said Lisa Holladay, manager of brand experience for Mercedes-Benz USA. "The 2012 CLS 63 AMG four-door coupe is the perfect vehicle for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Force initiative with its fascinating design and significant curb appeal."

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2011 will take place in New York, NY at Lincoln Center from February 10-17.

2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe: New Photos Hit the Web...Again

New pictures of Mercedes-Benz's worst kept secret, the 2012 C-Class Coupe, have been leaked onto the web, courtesy of several European magazines. First seen in these shots in early January, the two-door version of the C-Class was recently teased alongside the SLS AMG Roadster in Mercedes' Super Bowl commercial.

Designed as a replacement for both the CLK and CLC Sports Coupe,the firm's entry-level two door model will take on both the BMW 1- and 3-Series coupes. It is largely based on the freshly facelifted C-Class model series featuring an almost identical front end, but a unique styling from the A-pillars and back with a more rakish roofline, a Hoffmeister-esque kink on the rear window and a new rear end.

From what we can tell by looking at the two photos of the interior that have made their way onto the web, the dashboard appears to be unchanged from the rest of the 2012 C-Class models.

The engine range will most likely include the same force-fed four-cylinder naturally aspirated 302HP V6 gasoline units found on the other C-Class cars, while a range-topping V8 powerplant should make its way into the BMW 1 M and M3 rivaling AMG variant.

New Dodge Durango Heat gets the R/T’s Goods Sans the V8 Engine

Dodge doubled its new Durango offerings at the Chicago Auto Show with the launch of the Heat performance package that joins the R/T model. The two trim levels share most of their exterior and interior appointments as well as suspension tweaks, but whereas the R/T gets a 360-horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V8, the Heat is fitted with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 delivering 295 ponies and 260 lb.-ft. (353 Nm) of torque for an improved fuel efficiency of 16/23 mpg for the rear-wheel-drive model and 16/22 mpg for the all-wheel-drive version.

From there on, the Durango Heat features the same color-matched bodykit and dual chrome exhaust tips on the outside and decorative trim inside as the R/T. The Heat will come equipped with a Uconnect Voice Command and 506-watt Alpine audio system with 10 speakers, including subwoofer, as standard

The five-passenger Heat also shares R/T’s more aggressive suspension tuning, performance steering, unique 20-inch wheels with all-season performance tires, a 20-mm lower ride height, and tuned exhaust system.

The Durango Heat has a starting U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $30,295 (excluding destination charges), which represents a $5,170 saving over the V8-powered R/T.

Ford Sues Ferrari Over F150 Formula 1 Car Moniker, the Italians Hastily Change it to the F150th Italia

In order to celebrate the 150 years that have passed since the unification of Italy, Ferrari recently chose to name its newest Formula 1 car the “F150”. It seems that Ford wasn’t too impressed with the patriotic gesture and sued the Italian maker over the race car's moniker. The Blue Oval claimed that it closely resembled its own F-150 nameplate, thus causing “irreparable harm” to the trademark.

According to the paperwork filed in Detroit, the lawsuit also referred to Ferrari’s www.ferrarif150.com website and accused the Italian company of cyber theft and trademark infringement.

Ford aimed to prevent the use of the F150 name in the United States, and expected Ferrari to give up any revenue and profits earned through the disputed nameplate in the States.

Furthermore, under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, which protects against trademark infringement due to the use of confusing Internet domain names, Ford wanted $100,000 in damages.

However, Ferrari reacted quickly and today changed the F1 car's name to the “F150th Italia”, which was first used in a routine Formula 1 test report posted on the Ferrari website.

The report stated that “the first day of testing for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro got off on the right foot at the Cheste circuit, near Valencia. Before the lunch break, Fernando Alonso completed just over 200 kilometers at the wheel of the Ferrari F150th Italia”.

Later on, Ferrari released an official statement as well, available below.

By Csaba Daradics

[Ferrari Press Release] The name of the new Ferrari Formula 1 car

Maranello, 10th February - On the subject of the name of the new Ferrari Formula 1 car, the Maranello company wishes to point out that it has sent a letter of reply to Ford, underlining the fact that the F150 designation (used as the abbreviated version of the complete name, which is Ferrari F150th Italia) never has, nor ever will be used as the name of a commercially available product – indeed there will definitely not be a production run of single-seaters. In fact, it has always been the case in the history of Scuderia names, that they represent the nomenclature of a racing car project and are linked to a chronological order with a technical basis, or in exceptional cases, to special occasions. This year, the decision was taken to dedicate the car name to a particularly significant event, the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy, an event of such great importance that the Italian government has declared, for this year only, a national holiday.

For these reasons, Ferrari believes that its own contender in the forthcoming F1 championship cannot be confused with other types of commercially available vehicle of any sort whatsoever, nor can it give the impression that there is a link to another brand of road-going vehicle. Therefore it is very difficult to understand Ford’s viewpoint on the matter.

Despite this and to further prove it is acting in good faith and that it operates in a completely correct manner, Ferrari has decided to ensure that in all areas of operation, the abbreviated version will be replaced at all times with the full version, Ferrari F150th Italia.

Sources: Ferrari, Detnews & Autoweek